You Probably Don’t Know Me I Realise . . . But I Still Want You To Read This Before It’s Too Late!
Within the following pages are the most important tools you will ever find for developing your own Unique Buying Advantage (U.B.A.) or Unique Selling Proposition (U.S.P.). Now before you lose interest and throw this newsletter in the general direction of the bin, I would like you to know that the development of a U.B.A. is the single most important tactic developed by some of the most successful businesses of our time – big and small.
your own U.B.A.
Dear Friend and Subscriber,
So what is this thing called a U.B.A?
Some marketing people talk about Unique Selling Proposition. This concept was first formulated by Rosser Reeves and presented in his classic book “Reality in Advertising.” I like to refer to this instead, as “Unique Buying Advantage.” Here is why.
First I prefer “Buying” rather than selling “Selling” because it suggests that it should be stated in terms of the reader (who is doing the buying) rather than in terms of the advertiser / seller.
Secondly, the word “proposition” seems also to be an advertiser term, while “advantage” is from the customer’s point of view – - a much better orientation for writing effective advertising.
Your Unique Buying Advantage (U.B.A.) is the advantage that the buyer gets when buying your product or service – a distinct, appealing idea that sets your business apart from every other “me-too” competitor . . . and quite literally drives eager clients to your door.
There are two things to consider. One is the ADVANTAGE to your customer. The other is the UNIQUENESS of the product or it’s availability.
At the very least, your product must offer some advantage for the buyer, otherwise why would he buy? Or why should he buy from you? These are the questions you must ask yourself so that you will arrive at answers which are meaningful to your customers.
Here are a few examples of powerhouse U.B.A.s’, that are responsible for launching some of the most amazing, and in some cases unexpected success stories of our time.
Federal Express is said to be the most expensive ‘start-up’ capital company in history. “When it absolutely has to be there overnight . . . Fed Express it!”
The unexpected success story of Federal Express goes something like this. Having spent more money than ever recorded, charging three times the parcel rate of UPS (United States Postal Service) and budgeting to move 800 parcels on their first day . . . they actually moved the grand total of eight parcels on day one! That’s right, eight. And five of those were to themselves!
At this point, many of us might have contemplated slashing our wrists – but not Federal Express! They concluded they had successfully moved eight parcels.
The major problem was that back then, Federal Express had a lousy U.B.A. “Federal Express it because we have our own aeroplanes”.
Unfortunately for them, this meant “jack” to the market-place, who demonstrated their indifference by voting with their $$$ – or lack of them, should I say.
Federal Express responded to this disaster by redeveloping their U.B.A. from their clients’ perspective (in this case the office secretary) and came up with the winner they have to this day, which is responsible for the International success Federal Express enjoy.
Domino’s Pizza was a struggling business started by two brothers, who’s primary goal was to pay their way through University. Due to lack of success and downward spiralling finances, one of the brothers chose to opt out, taking with him his share of the business – a beat-up VW.
The other brother, of course, went on to develop a multi billion $$$ empire based on one unique promise. “Piping hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or it’s free”.
Were Domino’s the first company to deliver pizza? No! But they were the first to make such a unique promise and it is history now that this promise totally reshaped the pizza industry. As I said, pizzas were being delivered back then, but they certainly weren’t hot and neither were they there in 30 minutes.
A little closer to home, Budget Rent-A-Car have dominated the car rental market because of geographical logistic advantages and agreements – and they still do.
But Avis was able to make big in-roads on their market-share by making this unique statement. “At Avis we are the second biggest, so we try harder.” This sends a very strong message to the market-place, which responds by voting with their $$$.
A very dear friend of mine, David Glendinning of Atlas Rent-A-Car, makes this unique promise: “If after you’ve rented from us, you find a car rental company with better service and value for money, we’ll book and pay for your next rental with a competitor” To date, Dave has never been asked to do that.
That single promise has taken his business from a struggling “me-to” operation to being a ‘shaker & mover’ in the car rental industry. And by the way, it has also doubled his fleet of cars. You can guess why – demand from clients!
There is an underlying secret that you get when you have a U.B.A. Can you can work it out?
My friend Steve Gillespie of Unity Insurance, has been working with me for some time, on his U.B.A. and I know Steve is about to launch it on his unsuspecting competitors.
“We provide risk free, painless insurance for busy people that will never let you down . . . if for any reason you are dissatisfied with Unity Insurance, we will refund 101% of your premium, no questions asked.”
What do you think?
I recently had the pleasure of meeting a real ‘go-getter’ in Warren Skobe-Smith, who purchased one of my marketing packages. Warren owns Tippy’s Pizza in South Street, South Fremantle. His pizzas are great.
After purchasing my package, Warren did what almost nobody ever does – he called me to ask some advice. In fact, as he is from WA, he asked if he could show me his operation and buy me lunch in Freo. Being a foodie, of course I said yes and within 20 minutes I had developed a U.B.A. which I believe could launch another multi million $$$ pizza chain.
Warren is up $2,000 to $3,000 per week in just 6 weeks and he is yet to fully implement.
So what is this U.B.A. that makes Warren so competitive with the madly discounting multi national chains while charging twice the price they do for a pizza? (profit).
. . . . “Bigger, better tasting pizzas and twice the topping of the pizza chain store or it’s free”
We “told the story” by writing it all over his premises. Here’s what we wrote . . .
Bigger, Better Tasting Pizza & Twice the Topping of the Pizza Chain Stores or it’s FREE!
THEIRS OURS
9 inch 10 inch
13 inch 14 inch
Imagine this on the wall of a pizza bar – it’s a pretty bold statement and message!
All that’s great, but what about your U.B.A.?
Here’s my secret tool for developing your U.B.A. Let’s play a game. It’s called Questions and Answers. I’m going to ask you what it is you do for a living and you’re going to tell me in a bold statement what you do.
Now don’t just say “I’m a dentist.” Instead say “You know when you have a problem with your teeth and you need a dentist – well what I do is take the pain out of a visit to the dentist!”
You see, my reaction has to be “WOW! How do you do that?”
So now, you fill in the blanks.
“You know when you _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ well what I do is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
“You know when you want to rent a car, well what we do is take your risk out of renting by offering to pay another car rental company for you if your rental experience with us isn’t as great as we say it will be.”
OR . . .
“You know when you want to rent a car, well what we do is make you this unique promise – if after you’ve rented from us you find another car rental company with better service and value for money, we’ll book and pay for your next rental”.
Wow. How do you do that?
Don’t just tell me you’re a bus driver, tell me you “safely transport 1,684,000 people per year over some of the most rugged roads in Australia and not one passenger has ever been injured or late to their destination.”
Wow, how do you do that?
Go on fill in the blanks until you have a bold statement, work out how you are going to do it later. Here is another one, this time for a lunch bar.
“You know how when you want to buy lunch in a commercial area all you seem to be able to find is greasy food, well what we do is provide affordable healthy fresh home-style meals and sandwiches that won’t sit in your stomach all day like brick”
Our shorter, punchier version of the same story might be “Affordable, fresher home-style meals not a greasy, fat food, or it’s free.”
Be clear and to the point!
On the following two pages are more tools for developing your U.B.A.
Before you can incorporate and communicate your chosen U.B.A. through various marketing avenues, focus and articulate it crisply and clearly ¾ with impact! Don’t be cute or abstract. Think it through until you can articulate it in one crystal clear, compelling and alluring paragraph ¾ or sentence.
Your U.B.A. is the nucleus around which you build your success, fame and wealth. So you’d better be able to state it. If you can’t state it, your prospect won’t see it. Whenever a customer wants the type of product or service you sell, your U.S.P. should bring your company to mind immediately.
Clearly stating your U.B.A. through your marketing and business performances will make business success inevitable, but you must ‘boil’ down your U.S.P to it’s bare essential.
Have you worked out what the specific bonus is when you have a strong U.B.A ?? I shall explain.
Your U.B.A. becomes the single most important factor that drives your business, your customers, your staff and most importantly, yourself!
Let’s face it, if you make a great promise to the market-place, you have to back it up and so does your staff. Your U.B.A. becomes your rudder. Once you and your staff know and understand your U.B.A. decision making, tactics and strategies become a piece of cake, simply if it doesn’t fit the U.B.A. you don’t do it.
Please make the time for this one marketing strategy, if you do nothing else ¾ your life will change for the better if you do.
